Forest Child Chapter 11
Alexander strode in Pella through the front gates. With his shabby appearance nobody gave him a second glance as their king. To them he was just another person going about their everyday lives. Some even must have thought him a beggar and he was push and shoved out of the way by some noble person's staff. Some even scorned him for getting in their way.
Alexander turned his thoughts to Hephaistion. He cast his gaze around. Hephaistion was not to be found. But that was ok just because he hadn't been spotted did not mean he wasn't around. Alexander needed a place to lay low for the remainder of the day then at night he was going to sneak into the palace by way of his mother.
Olympias was housed in the east wing of the palace. It had been given to her after Phillip had remarried. Though it was connect to the main palace through a series of galleries Olympias apartment were totally self sufficient. Alexander waited until it was dark then climbed up a tree just like Hephaistion had shown him and dropped into the courtyard on the other side. Dusting the grime and dirt from his hands Alexander turned to find his mother already waiting for him.
"I knew you would come back eventually." She said from the chair that had been brought outside. She was dressed warmly for the lengthy wait. "Is Hephaistion not with you?"
She craned her neck to look over Alexander's shoulder waiting for someone else to come over the wall.
"No." Alexander replied "But then again you already knew that he wasn't. Like you know a lot of things. You are the same as he?"
"Yes." Came the reply
"Yes to what?"
"Yes I am the same as Hephaistion and Yes I did know that he wasn't with you. But…."
She closed her eyes briefly before opening them again smiling "But he is close by."
"Something is happening tell m…
Alexander held up his hand for her to stop "Yes there is something happening."
He didn't release any more information
Olympias stood up and came to stand in front of her son. "Is there anything I can do?"
For the time being the less people who knew of his plans the better.
"No! I need you to carry on as normal" before adding "And don't be sending any of your spies."
His mother nodded "Of course."
But knowing his mother she would do everything in her power to break that promise she stepped aside showing him the way inside.
"Come now, I'll have a bath and some food prepared for you."
Alexander sat in the water coving his face with one hand. He was so deep in thought that he hadn't realized that the water had gone cold. Olympias had retired for the remainder of the night leaving Alexander to his own thoughts. He would have still been sitting there had he not got a notion that Hephaistion was waiting for him outside.
They embraced.
"Have you found anything?" Alexander asked
"Demeas has a network of spies but the real culprits are still hidden."
Alexander began to rub his chin and pull at his bottom lip in thought "Then we need to hunt them out… one by one. I shall make my presence know in the morning, but we must tread carefully."
"I want you to be there. Can you read their minds or something?"
Despite the seriousness nature of their meeting Hephaistion snorted a little laugh " No I can not people's mind. It's all about reading the changes in their energies to find their guilt."
"Then I shall be at your side."
Something over Alexander's shoulders caught Hephaistion attention. Alexander looked over his shoulder and saw nothing but judging by the way Hephaistion kept flitting between him and…. Then it dawned.
"It is her?"